These Braided Tuna Buns are an Asian bakery favourite: transform canned tuna into a flavourful fish filling, piled onto soft and fluffy braided buns.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for Braided Tuna Buns yields a soft and fluffy dough, with an aromatic tuna filling.
It's a great way to use and transform canned tuna into an delicious bun.
Using canned tuna makes this easy and accessible for anyone to make.
It's one of my favourite recipes for Lent or Fish Fridays.
Add a bit of cheese onto the tuna filling and it becomes an Asian tuna melt.
Ingredients you'll need
You'll need the following ingredients:
For the tuna filling:
- canned tuna: preferably packed in water and drained; you can use packed in oil but you will need to adjust the amount of mayo
- kewpie mayonnaise: is a Japanese-style mayo made with egg yolks; you can use regular mayo if you have that instead
- sesame oil: toasted, for aroma
- green onions: sliced
- ground black pepper
For the dough:
- 1 batch of dough
- heavy cream or egg wash
Garnish:
- black and white sesame seeds
- bonito flakes: also known as katsuobushi -- is skipjack tuna that is dried, smoked and shaved; commonly used in takoyaki, okonomiyaki and dashi broth
- green onions
Alternative additions
For fun ways to jazz up these Tuna Buns, try adding:
- nori flakes: or aonori, seaweed strips
- furikake: Japanese seaweed-based seasoning
- mozzarella cheese: shredded
- togarashi: Japanese chili spice mixture
- kewpie mayo: give a drizzle of mayo over the buns for finishing touch
How to make the buns
Make the tuna filling
In a bowl, combine drained canned tuna, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon green onions, black pepper and sesame oil.
Give everything a mix and place into the fridge until ready to use.
Make the dough
Line a large 13" by 18" baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make a batch of the dough from my Hamburger Buns recipe.
Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 24 equal portions (Step 1 below).
Roll each piece of dough into a long log (Step 2 below).
For each bun, take 2 pieces of dough (logs) and pinch together at one end, sealing them together.
Take one piece of dough and cross it over the other, until the two are intertwined together. Pinch to seal both ends (Step 3 below).
Take the braided dough and tie a knot, with one end coming up through the middle and the other coming down, meeting in the centre (Step 4 below).
Push down firmly on the centre.
Place the braided dough onto a lined baking sheet and repeat with the remainder.
Assemble the buns
Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to make a divot in the centre of each dough (Step 5 above).
Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the tuna filling into the divot (Step 6 above).
Continue with the remainder (Step 7 above).
Cover the buns and leave to rest into a warm location, until slightly puffy.
Near the end of the proofing time, preheat oven to 350F.
With a pastry brush, lightly brush heavy cream (or egg wash) on the exposed bun dough.
Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.
If adding cheese, sprinkle cheese on top of the buns.
Bake the buns at 350F for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour (Step 8 above).
Remove from oven and let slightly cool on a wire rack.
Garnish with bonito flakes and remainder of the green onions.
Expert tips
To check when the dough is done proofing (rising), poke a small indentation on the side of the bun. If the dough:
- bounces back quickly, then it needs a little more time.
- fills back in slowly, it's ready for the oven.
- indentation stays, it might be overproofed. Time to get it into the oven pronto!
How to serve & store
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store Tuna Buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Individually wrap and freeze the Tuna Buns for up to 1 month.
To reheat buns, simply microwave for 30 seconds until warmed through.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these delicious recipes:
Braided Pork Floss Green Onion Buns
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Braided Tuna Buns
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Tuna filling:
- 1 can tuna (packed in water) drained
- 2 tablespoon kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayo
- 2 green onions sliced, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
Dough:
- 1 batch Hamburger Buns dough
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or egg wash (beaten egg)
Garnish:
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 C shredded mozzarella optional
- bonito flakes
Instructions
Make the tuna filling:
- In a bowl, combine drained canned tuna, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon green onions, black pepper and sesame oil.
- Give everything a mix and place into the fridge until ready to use.
For the dough:
- Line a large 13" by 18" baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make a batch of the dough from my Hamburger Buns recipe.
- Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 24 equal portions.
- Roll each piece of dough into a long log.
- For each bun, take 2 pieces of dough (logs) and pinch together at one end, sealing them together.
- Take one piece of dough and cross it over the other, until the two are intertwined together. Pinch to seal both ends.
- Take the braided dough and tie a knot, with one end coming up through the middle and the other coming down, meeting in the centre.
- Push down firmly on the centre.
- Place the braided dough onto a lined baking sheet and repeat with the remainder.
Assemble:
- Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to make a divot in the centre of each dough.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the tuna filling into the divot.
- Continue with the remainder.
- Cover the buns and leave to rest into a warm location, until slightly puffy.
- Near the end of the proofing time, preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
- With a pastry brush, lightly brush heavy cream (or egg wash) on the exposed bun dough.
- Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.
- If adding cheese, sprinkle cheese on top of the buns.
- Bake the buns at 350°F/177°C for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden in colour.
- Remove from oven and let slightly cool on a wire rack.
- Garnish with bonito flakes and remainder of the green onions.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Raymund | angsarap.net
Wow, well excuted, looks like you mastered that braiding technique
Michelle
Thank you Raymund! The tuna buns are so much fun to make!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I like a tuna pizza, so I guess I'm also going to like these savoury buns! They look irresistibly delicious. And I would definitely go with an option of some mozzarella, too.
Michelle
I've never actually had tuna on pizza... will have to change that! Yes, the melted mozza cheese is my kids favourite! 😉
Healthy World Cuisine
That bite shot is making us hungry. Thank you for the helpful step by steps. Now we can make this Japanese bakery treat at home.
Michelle
Glad to hear the tips are helpful, Bobbi! They are a lot of fun to make too 🙂
Linsey
I love savoury buns, eat during dinner time with a bowl of hot soup. Very good variation!
David @ Spiced
What a fun idea! I do love to bake bread, and this sounds like such a unique way to mix things up a bit. And the use of canned tuna makes it especially easy!